Cup-container.



L. W. LU ELLEN` CUP CONTAINER..

APPLICATION FILED APR-3,191I.

15264995@ Patented May 7,1918.

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L. w. LUELLEN.

CUP CONTAINER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 3. I9II.

Patented May 7,1918.

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LAWRENCE W. LUELLEN, 0F NEW YORK, Y., ASSIGNOR TO INDIVIDUAL DRINKING CUP COMJPNY, OIF NEW 'EZ'CUIIRCILa N. Y., A CORPORATION 0F MAINE.

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' Specification of Letters.JPat ent.

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applica-tin med april 3,1911. serial 1ro. matie.

To all whom t may concern."

Be i known that ll, LAWRENCE W. Lunn- LEN, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvemgnts in Cup-Containers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specication.

'lhis invention relates generally to cup holders or containers, the object of the invention being to provide a convenient and compact receptacle which will contain a supply of cups preferably nested, prevent all access of dust or impurities from contaminating said cups while in the holder, and

lpresent the cups successively in such manner .forms but one form which I have found especially convenient and satisfactory is that Aillustrated and described herein.

The sanitary cups which. at the present time are in use are made of paper suitabl treated to make them water-.proof and sel sustaining. The cups are fragile and are intended to be used once and then discarded. 'llo assure the user of the cups that they are in a sanitary condition when removed from the container it is essential that the handling of the cups 'be avoided as much as possible and that they be shielded from contaminating influences while .being placed in the container. llhis can best be done at the factory or depot of the manufacturer or distributer of the cups.

When the cups are permitted to remain in the original package cleanliness of the 'cups is assuredv and furthermore the fragile cups are guarded from injury. The cups are thus not only guarded from being soiled or infected but also from bein broken or otherwise iniured especially w en they are made of a fragile material. Y

llt is desirable to have the cups incased in a package when delivered from the manufacturers depot of distribution, the entire series of .nested cups being securely covered and sealed, and to have such package capable of being readily opened in such manner that the cups will be presented for removal one at a time and the nest of cups and the inside of the cup which is presented for removal be shielded from dirt and contaminating lnfluences.

Figure 1 of the'drawings, which accompany and forma part of this specification,

shows an elevation of an original package container embodying my present improvement. l

.Fig 2 is a similar view partly in longituginallsection of the container illustrated in Fig. 3 is a somewhat enlarged longitudinal section of the lower portion of the contalner showing in elevation a series of nested cups, one of t e cups being in rposition to be removed and the others in `position to successlvely assume this to-be-removed osition.

c Fig. 4.- is an enlarged elevation o the delivery end of the package illustrated in the preceding figures. lln this view the end is illustrated substantially as it will appear after the seal and removable closurey have been removed for permitting the cups to assume the position illustrated in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a cross section of the container taken at about the plane indicated by the line 5 5 in Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 shows another form of cup support and retarding device this ligure being partly in longitudinal section.

A stack or pile of nested cups is illustrated and is designated by the reference character 7 contained within an original package comprising a paste-board cylinder 8 having permanently secured to its end which in practice will preferably be the top end, a closure in the form of a cap 9. The other end of the container or cylinder is shown closed by a removable closure or cap 10. This latter cap is held in position by means of'a readily removable sealing strip 11. In the illustration the bottom of the lowermost cup of the stack of cups 7 rests upon the closure 10.

The portion of the container adjacent the end covered by the removable closure 10 is provided with a cup retaining or retarding device for permitting the cups to be doled from the container one at a time. vice will support the stack of cups in such position that one of the cups will protrude a suiiicient distance from the open end of the container to be taken hold of and with'- drawn after which the gravity of the stack of cups will cause another cup, the next succeeding cup of the stack, to assume a similar position.

Packed in the manner above described the cups will be delivered to the users in the original package container. The entire stack will be securely inclosed within the container so that no part of the cup or the inside of the container will be exposed. When it is desired to gain access to the stack of cups the removable sealing strip 11 will be removed when the closure or cap 10 may be removed which having supported the lowermost cup of the stack will permit the cups to assume the position in dotted line in Fig. 2, andvin full line in Fig. 3. When in this position the lowermost cup of the lstack of-cups will close or seal the interior of the container, the entire surfaces of all the other cups and its own interior and rim.

As ay convenient and inexpensive means for retaining and retardingv the cups the portion of the cylinder adjacent the end which will be opened is provided with a series .of embossedv inwardly projecting engaging members 12.v These engaging members 1n the present illustration are formed in the body of the paste-board tube which constitutes the cylinder 8. A suiicient number of these will be arranged in vam'circumferential lzone for engaging the lips of several of the cups at the same time so that no one c up will be compelled to support the entire stack of cups. The formation of the projections 12 may be wedgeshaped so that the cups will gradually come into more forcible contact with the engaging lsurface and furthermore so that after a. cup has remained for some time in one position in engagement with the. retaining surface after it has been moved to a new position by the withdrawal of the preceding cup V.an increremoval.

mentof pressure will be applied to the cup by its detaining surface and thereby prevent accidental discharge of the cup.

The idea of the inventionis that the cups are not to spontaneously move out of the container. They are inactive so far as being lremoved is concerned but the cups will actively or spontaneously move into a position to be taken hold of by' the user for The .cups which are generally used at thel present time are coated with paraffin and a considerable thickness of this is applied to the rim of the cup which willbe engaged by the retarding device. This will enable the container to beinade of coarse material owing to the fact that the cups being prof.

vided with paraffin will afford their own lubrication in passing over the rough surface of the paper.

In Fig. v6 in addition to the embossed protrusions 12 anarrow neck 13 is provided outwardly. o 'f such protrusions. .t In practice tainer. The device, however, in Fig. 6 will effect a complete and absolute sealing.

In Fig. 2 cups having plain rims are illustrated and in Fig. 3 cups are illustrated with flanges at the rim. p

Although the container is illustrated in the form of an original package, yet the character of device herein set forth is illustrative. The container will be made of material suitable for its intended situation when in use. Articles besides those mentioned may be packed in this manner for shipment or distribution. Various changes will suggest themselves in manner of construction to meet the eXigencies.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters .Patent is:

1. A container comprising a paste-board cylinder having at one end a neck of reduced area, and inwardly of such neck a series of longitudinally disposed ribs springing from the normal surface of the cylinder and merging .into the surface of the neck.

2. A container comprising a cylinder having at one end a neck of reduced area, and inwardly of such neck a series of longitudinally disposed .ribs springing from the normal wall of the cylinder and gradually merging into the surface of the neck.

3. A container for a stack of nested paper l cups formed with a contracted portion in endfand a detachable closure at the other end, a plurality of inwardly directed proj ections being formed on the interior of said container in proximity to one end. whereby upon the removal of said detachable closure,

said projections will be engaged by the lowl ermost cup of the stack, a portion of the cup protruding below the end of the container to permit its withdrawal therefrom.

5. In combination with a stack of nested paper cups, a' tubular container therefor, having a permanent closure at one end and a removable closure at its other end, said removable closure beinginitially sealed to said container to form an original package for the cups, 'and a plurality of inwardly directed abutments projecting therefrom and adapted to support the cups within the container in such a way as to permit the cups manent seal at one end and a removablel seal at the other end and means for functioning said package as a'dispenser for said cups, whereby the iowermost cup will protrude therefrom upon'the removal ot' said latter seal, said means cooperating with successive cups to permit of their individual se aration from the stack.

The combination of atube and a stack of nested paper cups contained therew'ithin, means for sealing both ends of said tube to form an original package to protect the cups against contamination and means in proximity to one end of the tube and adapted to coperate with the stack of cups upon the removal of the adjacent seal to permit of the individual withdrawal of the cups, each remaining terminal cup eiiiecting` a ternporary seal for the container.

8. The combination with a stack of nested paper cups and a tubular container therefor,

provided with a permanent closure at one end, and a removable closure at its other end, said removable closure being sealed to lift said tube t0 provide an original package for the cups, and means formed on the interior of said container to coperate with said cups and support the same upon the removal of said latter closure to permit the successive withdrawal of said cups from said container, a portion of the terminal cup being flexed to disengagie it from said means, whereby the neXt succeeding cup will be engaged by said means to temporarily seal the container and support the stack therein. 9. ln combination with a stack of nested paper cups, a tubular container therefor,

vhaving a permanent closure at one end and a removable .closure at its other end, saidremovable closure being hermetically sealed to said container to form an original package for the cups, and means adjacent to said latter end to support the stack of cups and to permit the withdrawal of the terl minal cup from the stack when the removcontainer. l

l0. The combination with a stack of nested cup-like articles, of a container, forming an original package oit/the articles, having a permanent closure at one end and a rcable closure has been detached from the 

